The Pixel 2 and the iPhone 8 Plus battle it out to determine which phone's camera does better portraits, landscape selfies and low-light shots.
Google says the camera on its Pixel 2 can beat the iPhone 8 Plus. Last year's comparison proved the Pixel was capable of producing better shots than the iPhone 7 Plus in most categories.
Let’s see the battle in different ways:
Portraits
Last year with the overall results on the Pixel, portraits mode were terrible. Pixel's Lens Blur mode attempted to create a background-blur bokeh effect , Like portrait mode on the iPhone around the subject similar to what you would get on a DSLR.
This year Google renamed its bokeh effect as portrait mode. It combines 3D-sensing data from the sensor, image processing and face-detection AI technology.. To achieve the same effect The iPhone 8 Plus still uses information from the wide and telephoto lenses and software.
Results of Portrait mode
It’s a difficult process to activate the portrait mode accurately in pixel 2. But When the Pixel 2 gets it right, it can take better portrait than the iPhone 8 Plus. The colors are more accurate in this shot and there's more detail in the face.
Selfies
iPhone 8 Plus can’t have the portrait feature on the front camera where Pixel has this feature on its front camera, but it’s not reliable.
Portrait Mode also works on the front camera of the Pixel 2, but it's not perfect.
Even without portrait mode, photos on the front camera are better on the Pixel than iPhone.
Landscapes
Both iPhone 8 Plus and the Pixel 2 use HDR image processing, combining multiple frames taken in quick succession into a single image. Ideally, HDR means a photo has shadow details without awful glare in bright areas. Both Apple's HDR and Google's competing technology, called HDR+ on the Pixel, are active by default.
In ideal conditions, landscapes seem to be same on the two phones. The colors on the iPhone 8 Plus seem extra saturated with more contrast, but on the Pixel 2 look sharper.
Zoom
But the downside of having one lens is that the Pixel 2 only has a digital zoom. The iPhone uses the telephoto lens to zoom in on a shot without sacrificing image quality at 2x. The telephoto lens doesn't let in as much light, and it's not stabilized.
The shot on the Pixel at 2x looks washed out and grainy. But the one on the iPhone looks sharper and more vibrant. If you're looking for great zoom, the iPhone is the clear winner.
Close-up
Close-ups also look better on the iPhone. The greater contrast and saturation makes the grains of salt look clearer. The shot of the Pixel makes the grains of salt blend together at the top of the pile.
Low light
This year Google added a faster f1.8 lens and it added built-in OIS for holding the camera steady to counteract shaky hands that often spoil shots in dim conditions. The iPhone 8 Plus also has OIS so the shot of the Mirror Maze looks well lit, but it's not quite as sharp as the Pixel's. But to be fair, they were taken within a millisecond of each other and the shot is slightly different because of the flashing lights.
Flash
The Pixel 2 uses a dual LED flash, but the iPhone uses a quad LED True Tone flash. This year the iPhone 8 Plus also uses Slow Sync, a feature that allows for a slower shutter speed and a short burst of light from the flash.
The light seems more natural on the iPhone, and both the background and foreground are well lit. Face looks a bit sharper on the Pixel, but the flash is more intrusive.
The camera king is….
I hate to disappoint you, but there's no real winner this time. What's clear is that this year the Pixel 2 is able to keep up and sometimes even outperform the iPhone 8 Plus.
If you want more detail in your shot, go with the Pixel. But if you prefer more color saturation and contrast, the iPhone will be your best bet.
(iPhone 8 Plus on the left and Pixel 2 on the right. )